Mother is focus of Lunenburg probe

Thursday

Dec 5, 2013 at 6:00 AMDec 5, 2013 at 2:09 PM

By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

LUNENBURG — Andrea J. Brazier, the mother of a former Lunenburg High School football player who appeared to be the target of a hate crime three weeks ago, is now the focus of a police investigation of the racial slur spray-painted on the family's house.

Police and the FBI searched the Phillips family's house Tuesday looking for “any and all instruments pertaining to the crime” and all paperwork pertaining to Ms. Brazier's handwriting, according to a search warrant dated Dec. 3 out of Fitchburg District Court.

Police removed two Krylon spray-paint cans and live ammunition from the home, according to court documents.

Police said they had cause to search the house because the mother was no longer being cooperative with investigators. No charges relating to the incident have been filed against her or anyone else.

Lunenburg Detective Jeffrey Thidodeau's affidavit in support of the search warrant application stated that Ms. Brazier had become uncooperative during the investigation.

Ms. Brazier and Anthony J. Phillips, the parents of 13-year-old Isaac Phillips, allege that Isaac was bullied by Lunenburg High School football players. Mr. Phillips told authorities that someone spray-painted “Knights don't need n------,” which Ms. Brazier said she discovered Nov. 15 on the side of the house while she was out walking the family dogs that morning.

Lunenburg High sports teams are the Blue Knights. Isaac's mother is white and his father is black.

Isaac, an eighth-grader who played on the freshman and junior varsity football teams in Lunenburg, has since transferred to Leominster schools.

The Lunenburg football team was part of the investigation, but late Monday police said they could find no conclusive evidence linking present members of the team to the incident.

Police searched the Phillips home Tuesday afternoon. Details of the case are included in an affidavit attached to the application in support of a search warrant, filed in Fitchburg District Court.

During the investigation, Ms. Brazier told police she spray-painted over the graffiti on her home.

On the back of the house, gray paint covers blue graffiti on the foundation. Police would not respond to phone calls or emails Wednesday asking what color spray paint they removed from the Phillips home.

Detective Thidodeau said that on Nov. 25, Ms. Brazier told police and the FBI during an interview at the station that she had spray-painted over the graffiti, according to the affidavit, and she begged them to end the investigation, stating Isaac was now happy attending school in Leominster.

Since the incident, many town members have turned on their family, Mr. Phillips said.

“Andrea stated that she had painted over the graffiti and that she wanted nothing further to do with the investigation,” the affidavit said. “Andrea stated that she can't sleep at night and that this is ripping her family apart … Andrea stated that she wanted the press to stop and wanted us to end it.”

However, according to the affidavit, Ms. Brazier was told the investigation would continue until the truth was uncovered.

“Andrea was told by an FBI agent that she wanted the investigation to stop because she was the one who spray-painted the graffiti on her house and Andrea said, 'OK,' ” the document said. “Andrea just kept answering 'OK' and that she wanted everything to end and that we did not understand.”

Ms. Brazier left the station upset and crying, the document said, saying she needed to talk to her husband.

About 2 p.m. Tuesday, the first police officers arrived at the Phillips house on Chase Road. About 90 minutes later, police left with what appeared to be items in a brown bag.

Mr. Phillips said in previous interviews that he knew as early as Nov. 17 that rumors were circulating that one of his family members spray-painted the graffiti on his home, and that some came from area residents who he had thought were on his side.

"We didn't want any of this and I damn sure didn't go out and spray-paint it myself,” he said.

The report of the graffiti followed incidents Nov. 1 and Nov. 4 at football games in Worcester and Lunenburg during which racial slurs were used by Lunenburg players against South High Community School players. The Nov. 4 game was ended in the fourth quarter.

On Nov. 23, Lunenburg Athletic Director Peter F. McCauliff apologized to the South High players and coaches for the incidents at the school.

Lunenburg school officials canceled the high school's annual Thanksgiving football game against St. Bernard's of Fitchburg, which sparked an outcry in Lunenburg.

However, Lunenburg's athletic director recommended to the superintendent that she cancel the game because of safety concerns because of widespread attention over the graffiti incident.

Mr. Phillips said Tuesday night he has retained a lawyer and has been advised not to make any more comments.

“I could care less what the world thinks — I want to protect my children,” Mr. Phillips said, who has four children, including Isaac, ages 13, 8, 6 and 1. “It is the holidays and we want to move on from this. This is really affecting my family and they are all I really do care about. I really want to protect my kids.”

He said there is “more to come out” in the investigation.

Police said Wednesday the matter is still under investigation.

Contact Paula Owen at powen@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaOwenTG